“This is a classic and simple dish that’s lifted by the smoked tomatoes,” says Papadakis. “If you can’t find strawberry clams, diamond-shell clams are a great substitute – they are meaty, sweet and have a distinct ocean flavour.” At the restaurant, the chefs make their own spaghetti; we’ve used dried pasta here.
Ingredients
Method
Main
1. Preheat oven to 140C. Place tomatoes in a deep roasting pan, season with 1 tbsp olive oil and salt, and roast until slightly blistered (10-12 minutes).
2.Place smoking chips in a small metal container (or on a piece of foil on a flameproof tray) and heat over high heat until they start to smoke (5-10 minutes; or light the woodchips using a blowtorch). Once the flames subside and the chips start smoking, add them to the roasting pan with the tomatoes, cover with foil and stand for 20-25 minutes. Repeat the process if you like a smokier flavour.
3.Heat a large saucepan over medium heat, add remaining olive oil, garlic and chilli, and sauté until fragrant (1-2 minutes). Add white wine, then clams, stock and basil, cover with a lid and cook, shaking pan occasionally, until clams open (3-4 minutes). Season to taste.
4.Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until al dente (5-10 minutes), then drain, reserving a little pasta water.
5.Add spaghetti, smoked tomatoes and parsley to clam sauce and toss to combine, adding a little pasta water if needed to coat pasta. Season to taste, divide among warm bowls and serve.
Drink Suggestion: 2013 Tenuta delle Terre Nere “Etna Rosato” Nerello Mascalese, Sicily. A fresh bone-dry rosé with great savoury spice and mineral finish. It really freshens up this dish, with its acid allowing the chilli and smoke to shine. Drink suggestion by Luke Skidmore
Notes
